Andy Coulson in court to deny phone hacking conspiracy

Thursday 6 June 2013 10:09 BST

Andy Coulson, former News of the World editor and aide to British Prime Minister David Cameron, left, arrives at Southwark Crown Court in London where he will appear to face charges related to phone hacking, Thursday, June 6, 2013. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)

Former No 10 spin doctor Andy Coulson today denied conspiring to hack phones when he was editor of the News of the World.

At Southwark crown court, he also pleaded not guilty to two charges of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office.

Coulson, 45, was given bail by Mr Justice Saunders and is expected to stand trial in September. He was NoW deputy editor until 2003 and editor until 2007, before joining David Cameron’s office as head of communications.

Ian Edmondson, former assistant editor of the NoW, denied the same phone hacking conspiracy charge. The alleged hacking plot is said to have taken place between October 2000 and August 2006.

The now-defunct tabloid’s royal editor Clive Goodman also denies conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office. He and Coulson are said to have plotted with “persons unknown” to corrupt a public official, in 2002/2003 and in 2005.

Yesterday, ex-News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks, former NoW managing editor Stuart Kuttner, and its former news editor James Weatherup denied the same hacking conspiracy charge as Coulson and Edmondson.

Brooks and her husband Charlie denied perverting the course of justice.

A former prison officer was held today under Operation Elveden, the Met inquiry into alleged payments by journalists to public officials. The man, 39, was arrested at his home in Waltham Forest.